Hellcat owner jailed after clocking 158 mph on public road

Here's an instance where the black key would have helped the owner of this 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, rather than unlocking the full potential of the car with the famed red key. Maybe.

Determined to show off all 707 horsepower in his new ride, an Illinois man piled his buddies into his 2016 Challenger Hellcat and took to an empty stretch of an Indiana toll Road.

Things went awry from there.

A state trooper clocked the Challenger Hellcat at 158 mph before the driver hit the brakes. That was at mile marker 13—the trooper stated he didn't catch up to the Hellcat until mile marker 11. There, he was clocked again, this time going 151 mph.

According to The Indy Star, the driver acknowledged he was going over twice the posted speed limit on the toll road, which is 70 mph. He went on to say he felt the empty toll road would be the safest place to show off the Hellcat's power to his passengers.

We suppose the driver failed to recognize the toll road is still a public road, despite being sans traffic. The driver was charged with reckless driving and was jailed after the incident. His Challenger Hellcat? Towed with a $170 impound fee plus daily storage charges. All of this is another example of why private race tracks and drag strips are always the safest places to exercise a car's full potential and performance. That rings especially true as Dodge plans to officially debut the Hellcat's devilish, likely more powerful brother, the Dodge Demon.